Solenoid-operated valve and the like



A.'SIMO N. SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 23', l9l6.

1 3 3,432 Patefioed July 5, 1921.

A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR SIMON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAMMER MFG. 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

' Application filed October 23, 1916. Serial No. 127,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ARTHUR SIMON, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Solenoid-Operated Valves and the like, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in solenoid operated valves and is particularly applicable to valves used for high pressures and operable by direct current solenoids.

Such valves are commonly provided 1n lieu of stuffing boxes with tubular extensions from their casings inclosin the plungers of their operating solenoi s, and the present invention hasamong its objects to provide an improved lamp switch for valves of this type.

As is understood, a valve of the type mentioned requires of its operating solenoid a materially greater pull for unseatin than for continued movement, whereas as 1s also understood, the pullof a D. C. solenoid varies inversely wlth the square of its travel,

and thepresent invention'has for a further ob'ectto provide for unseating of such a valve toward the end of the stroke of the plun er of its operating solenoid thereby enab ing the use of a smaller solenoid than heretofore required.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear. A solenoid operated valve embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and the samewill now be described, it bein understood that the invention is suscepti 1e of various modifications.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a' vertical sectional view through the valve and solenoid, certain arts however being shown in elevation; an

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l.

The valve illustrated is of the usual type comprising a casing 1 having therein a valve seat 2, a reciprocable piston 3 having a valve 4 to fit said seat and a non-magnetic tubular extension 5 from said casing concentric with the guide of piston 3.

The operating solenoid includes a winding 6 mounted upon the tube 5 and inclosed in a magnetic frame 7, a plunger 8 reciprocably mounted in said tube, a non-magnetic plug 9 sealing said tube and having a magnetic end facing 10 and core 11 and an auxiliary plunger 12 reciprocably mounted in said non-magnetic plug. The plunger 8 is operatively connected to the valve piston, as

hereinafter described, while the auxiliary plunger 12 comprises the actuating member of a lamp switch operable to reduce the current supplied to the solenoid following actuation of the valve by plunger 8.

Thelamp switch comprlses yielding contacts 14 and 15 of a well known type mount ed upon an insulating panel 16 fixed to one side of the solenoid frame 7 and a cooperating contact 17 to bridge the former contacts. The contact 17 comprises a conducting tube mounted upon and insulated from a rod 18 carried by and between two bell crank levers 19. The levers 19 are fulcrumed upon a spindle 20 carried by and between upstanding lugs 21v on the solenoid frame and said levers are provided with weights 22 biasin the same in a direction to engage contact 1% with contacts 14 and 15. As will be understood, these contacts are employed to shortcircuit a series resistance forthe solenoid winding and to include said resistance in clrcuit upon dlsengagement. As stated, the

auxiliary plunger of the solenoid constitutes the actuating means for the lamp switch, said plunger having a stem 12 threaded through a block 23 pivotally connected to and between the levers 19. The weights 22 of the levers overbalance the auxiliary plunger, thus normally holding the latter in a spaced relation with the magnetic core of the plug 9, the spacing of said elements being variable at will by adjustment of the auxiliary plunger relative to the levers 19 throu h the medium of the threaded stem 12. The auxiliary plunger 12, the magnetic core 11 and the main plunger 8 are all in axial alinement and the auxiliary plunger when elevated, as shown, is subjected only to the stray magnetic fluxof the solenoid. Accordingly, when the plunger 8 is in the osition shown, comparatively few magnetic lines of force will pass to the auxiliary plunger, while during movement of the plunger toward the plug 9 themagnetic flux of the solenoid is so curtailed by self induction as to insure against any material pull upon the actuate ta contact c ooeiating ote j iovided provided on o l aine.

ow be uppe adjustient the air gap ll provides of the lamp ulated as to est the plunger p 1.13 to actuaswitch. Also, as will now be apinsiirance against operation of the in rest of ie plunger 8 mation or subst iaily the maxiun pull of the solenoid. for va ve actuation the operating connection between the solenoid plunger and valve piston to be described enables utilization. of such pull for unseating the valve.

This connection comprises a plunger 26 slidably fitting a socket portion 3 of the valve piston, said socket portion containing a helical spring 27 interposed between the plunger and internal shoulders 23 ot the piston and said-plunger having a stem 26 threaded into the end of the solenoid plunger 8. The arrangement is such that with the valve l seated, as shown, elevation of the solenoid plunger will effect compression of the spring 27 to bias the valve away from its seat. Moreover, the arrangement is such that if the valve refuses to respond to the bias of the spring, continued movement of the solenoid plunger will cause the plunger 26 to abut the internal shoulders 3 of the valve piston, thereby establishing a positive connection between said piston and solenoid plunger, the parts being so proportioned as to first permit the solenoid plunger to move into close proximity with the stop plug 9. In other words, the connecting means provides for a delay in the establishment of the positive connection until the pull of the solenoid nearly approximates its maximum value. Thus the final movement of the solenoid plunger may be utilized to unseat the valve while the energy stored in the spring may be utilized to continue the movement of the valve to full open position.

The connecting means accordingly enables vice having a. reciproo utilization of the smallest solenoid which. will exert the requisite pull under substan-' tially maximum pull conditions while the lamp switch enables utilization of the smallest solenoids capable of exerting the requisite pull subject to immediate reduction in the current supplied. thereto. the very simple lamp switch which require no special construction of the solenoid fram for magnetic shunts, etc, is positive iab in operation and subject to expeditious z fine adjustment for att; nun-durum eh:- ciency oi the solenoid en ll What it claim'as new by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination wi h an i -lo;-ae d closure thereof including netic tubular extension h plug in the outer end therco having co xially arranged pli' ing reciprocably mounted. witl sion and attractable toward Shin the other being mounted externa extension and arrang l to be a ward said plug upon substantial comp of the stroke of said former plunger, connecting said tormei plunger and. the ciprocable member of said device wheicoy the latter part of the stroke of said plunger is available for initiation of the movement of said member and a protective device for said solenoid operable by said latter 'ilungcr. E2. The combination with a dot co to be operated, oi an operating solenoid. therefor,

said plunger, said connection including' means adapted to store energy prior to imtia-tion of the movement of said device and to effect continued movement of said devic. upon initiation of movement thereof and a protective device for said solenoid operable thereby but only after a substantially full stroke of said plunger.

3. The combination with a device to be operated, of an operating solenoid'theretor, an energy storing connection between said device and the plunger of said solenoid to bias the former upon attraction of the latter and to store energy upon failure of said de vice to respond to such bias, said connection providing for transmission of the pull of said plunger directly to said device during the latter part of the movement of said plunger and a protective device for said solenoid operable thereby but only upon substantial completion of the stroke of said plunger.

4. The combination with an inclosed valve, the inclosure thereof having av sealed tubular extension, of a solenoid having a plunger reciprocably mounted within said extension, an energy storing connection between said valve and said plunger whereby said valve may be unseated by said plunger during the latter part of its stroke and continued in er reci rocabl mounted in said tubular extension and operatively connected to said valve, said solenoid also having in axial alinement with said plunger an auxiliary plunger external of said tubular extension and a protective switch for said solenoid connected to and operable by said auxiliary plunger, said switch'normally holding said plunger in a position relative to the magnetic field of said solenoid to insure against its attraction until after predetermined movement of said valve operating plunger.

6. The combination with an inclosed valve, the inclosure thereof having a tubular exten sion, of an operating solenoid having a plunger reciprocably mounted in said tubular extension and connected to said valve, said solenoid also having an auxiliary plunger in axial alinement with the former plunger and an interposed non-magnetic tube sealing said tubular extension and provided with a magnetic core symmetrical with respect to the axes of said plungers and a protective switch for said solenoid operatively connected to said auxiliary plunger and normally holding the same in a position with respect to the magnetic field of said solenoid to insure inclosed against its attraction until after attraction of said valve actuating plunger.

7. The combination with a tube, of a solenoid winding mounted thereon, a main plunger for said solenoid winding reciprocably mounted within said tube, an auxilia plunger external to said tube and alingd axially with said main plunger, a non-magnetic plug interposed between said plungers and sealing said tube, said plug having a magnetic core symmetrical with respect to the axes of said plungers and a protective switch for said solenoid having an operative connection with said auxiliary plunger, said switch biasing said auxiliary plunger toa position whereby its attraction is dependent upon prior attraction of said main plunger and saturation of said core, said auxiliary plunger being adjustable with respect to said switch for variation of its normal position.

S. The combination with a device to be operated, of an operating solenoid therefor, the pull required for'operation of said device varying conversely with the pull exerted by said solenoid upon corresponding movements thereof and an operative connection between said device and the plunger 0t said solenoid providing for initiation of the movement of said device during the latter part of the stroke of said plunger, said connection' including means adapted to store energy prior to initiation of the movement of said device and to effect continued movement of said device upon initiation of movement thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- I scribed my name.

ARTHUR SIMON. 

